HOTEL REVIEW: SECRETS AKUMAL RIVIERA MAYA IN CANCUN

In January 2022, Mark and I decided to treat ourselves to an all-inclusive resort vacation in Cancun after three years of no international travel. This was due to the pandemic and physical injuries that prevented us from traveling much in the past few years. Our last international trip before this one was also in Cancun. Back then, we had treated ourselves to a Cancun trip as Mark was still recovering from a broken leg incident. So it seems that Cancun is our go-to place after long breaks away from international travel. 

We love Cancun for its beautiful beaches and relaxing vibes at all-inclusive resorts where we can stay all day and not have to worry about planning any activities or food. There’s something special and stress-free when eating at a restaurant and then being able to leave whenever instead of ending your experience with paying the bill. We’ve come a long way since our hostel days! 😉 Our choice all-inclusive resort for our 2022 Cancun trip was Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya. 

Private Room:

Our room was a junior king suite with a partial ocean view. It was luxurious with beautiful decor and accents, along with a king bed covered with soft sheets and many pillows. We had our own balcony with mostly a view of the inner courtyard and a little of the ocean in the distance. Our large bathroom featured a hot tub and a separate rain shower. There wasn’t a separate door to the overall bathroom area. It was just a see-through curtain separating the room to the hot tub and bathroom area. The door to the toilet was also see-through on the top half. So that was kind of weird/funny. We would’ve preferred a solid door or wall. Other than that, the room was perfect for a relaxing home away from home. The cleaning staff did a great job every day, and they even conducted an evening cleaning of our bedroom to make the bed and set out our plush slippers while we were out at dinner.

Amenities:

Secrets Akumel is an adult-only resort featuring 16 restaurants/bars throughout the property. They were all so good! Our favorite for dinner was the French restaurant, Bordeaux. I also enjoyed going to Coco Cafe throughout the day for small treats like pastries, ice cream, and espresso. For breakfast, we would go to the breakfast buffet at the Market Cafe. It was huge with so many delicious breakfast options.

We spent most of our time on the beach. It was fun having attendants bringing us drinks as we relaxed on the beach and tips were not required. They occasionally would also serve drinks out of pineapples or coconuts. There were many beautiful swimming pools to choose from, but we mostly swam in the ocean in search of sea turtles. We had our own snorkeling gear, but the adventure center had life vests that we were able to check out for free. Walking around the resort was also a treat with so much greenery and walkways. At night, there was usually entertainment or special dinners happening in various parts of the resort. One evening there was an area featuring local artisans where we purchased some local art.

We also spent some time at the on-site gym. This was still during COVID-19, so masks were required in the gym. They provided masks for guests if they needed them. Since this was also during COVID-19 travel restrictions, the resort also provided pre-reserved on-site COVID-19 testing appointments for those who needed them to travel internationally back home. The resort also helped us reserve our private shuttle back to the Cancun International Airport. Overall, the amenities were amazing and everything you need is there.

Pricing:

The total cost was $2,149 for four nights for a junior suite partial ocean view king. This was all-inclusive with unlimited meals and drinks. It is on the expensive side for accommodation, but if you’re looking for total relaxation, then this is worth it. You have to take advantage of the all-inclusive food, drinks, and activities to make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. View the hotel and book here on booking.com.

Location:

We mainly picked Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya for its proximity to snorkeling with sea turtles in Akumal Bay. The waters at the resort’s beach is great, but we noticed a lot of tour groups to the side of us searching for turtles. When we swam over there, the tour operators wouldn’t let us go into the designated turtle area on our own claiming that we needed to be part of a tour. We’ve read various reports that this isn’t true, but the tour guides are so insistent when they see you in the water that you will feel like a jerk if you ignore them. We were still able to see some turtles and other fish in the resort’s beach area. Overall, the beach location was amazing with clear waters, soft sand, and sea life.

BOOK NOW!